February 21 , 2006
OPINIONSLegend's View:
Don’t limit the experience a college education gives
Academic freedom is the right given to teachers to use any materials they deem appropriate to accomplish a course objective. Thanks to legislators backing Senate Bill 1331, the ideal that is academic freedom may soon be a thing of the past.
SB 1331 makes it possible for a student to object to any “course, coursework, learning material or activity on the basis that it is personally offensive” and the instructor for the course is then required to supply an alternative for that individual student.
The wording of the bill is ambiguous and leaves plenty of room open for interpretation, which may prove to be harmful in the classroom.
Depending on how many students are personally offended by any material, a number of students in one class could be reading different materials while the professor is attempting to maintain a single class discussion.
This bill, and the possible repercussions if passed, is unnecessary.
As college students we should be mature enough to read any materials that are assigned by the instructor regardless of whether or not it is personally offensive.
That is what we are here to do: expand our horizons and open our minds to other aspects of the world whether it is positive or negative.
However, that is not to say that we shouldn’t always be questioning material that is assigned in a learning environment.
There should always be a discussion about materials used in the classroom and whether or not the materials used are the best to convey the desired message.
But to pass legislation and to say that something can not be used in the classroom is wrong. It destroys the whole idea of academic freedom.
Professors teaching at colleges and universities have gone through many years of schooling to become experts in their respective fields. Therefore, it is hoped that teachers know what they are assigning and choose to use the best materials.
When a student refuses to read a piece of material or participate in coursework, the student is denying the expertise of the professor.
However, there are different ways to teach a single subject.
For example, showing pornographic materials to a class to learn about the sexual revolution would be considered outrageous and offensive to most.
That would be an extreme measure taken by the professor and would call for immediate revamping of the course materials.
However, showing the movie “Saving Private Ryan” to convey information about World War II may not, and probably would not, be considered to be offensive.
Even though the movie shows graphic scenes of violence, it is still a true depiction of the event and college students should be mature enough to watch it.
Drugs, sex, rape, murder, genocide, famine, acts of terror: all negative aspects of life that happen in our world. We, as students, have the responsibility to learn all the while questioning what we are given and asking whether or not it is the best we can get.